Vespa Dry Lake Racer lives...

internetscooter · Post by **internetscooter** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:29 pm

Well we knew we would be cutting it close to get the scoot ready for speed week. Despite it being called off we pushed on anyway (with less gusto) just to see if we "could" have made it...

Thursday night we tested out the KDX conversion (which in theory quadruples the Vespa hp) and it lives!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtqrhRSIa-Q

Now we have a bit of time up or sleeves to get it perfected

When's Mangalore?

Reverend Hedgash · Post by **Reverend Hedgash** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:28 am

Showed it to a scooter nut a work.

He was impressed.

internetscooter · Post by **internetscooter** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:03 pm

We think it is the first ever motorcycle top-end conversion in Australia. Even overseas they are rare and we don't know of anyone doing a KDX 200 (though a KDX 175 is known). The nice thing about the KDX 200 is that big bore kits are available... so there is room to move in the 250cc class

David Leikvold · Post by **David Leikvold** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:27 pm

How much power does it make now? Any idea of the potential increase in top speed?

internetscooter · Post by **internetscooter** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:04 am

When we get the engine tuned properly we are hoping for 35+HP.

Hopefully the graph below will show up (link included anyway). This shows that a standard Vespa 200cc with around 8-9hp will do ~100Km/hr - 60mph (which is about right from experience). With our new power we should do around 175km/hr - 108 mph. That is just in headdown position but we have some partial streamlining which should help al ot too. Any more that 110mph we run out of revs and gearing (but the current record is 106.521mph and that's what we are aiming to beat)

http://www.vespalabs.org/@api/deki/file ... g_calc.png
[/img]

Reverend Hedgash · Post by **Reverend Hedgash** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:04 am

Don't forget your leathers...

wayne.mumford · Post by **wayne.mumford** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:04 am

Get back to the bellytank you fools

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:47 pm

Gives a whole new meaning to "Pull your head in!" really, doesn't it.

Good stuff.

Rob

Dr Goggles · Post by **Dr Goggles** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:48 pm

wayne.mumford wrote:Get back to the bellytank you fools

good to see you on the site finally Wayno.....
:wink:

I'm gonna call you at home about secret bellytank business.......

whitworthsocket · Post by **whitworthsocket** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:36 pm

When we get the engine tuned properly we are hoping for 35+HP.

Hopefully the graph below will show up (link included anyway). This shows that a standard Vespa 200cc with around 8-9hp will do ~100Km/hr - 60mph (which is about right from experience). With our new power we should do around 175km/hr - 108 mph. That is just in headdown position but we have some partial streamlining which should help al ot too. Any more that 110mph we run out of revs and gearing (but the current record is 106.521mph and that's what we are aiming to beat)

http://www.vespalabs.org/@api/deki/file ... g_calc.png
[/img][/quote]

Check out the 1956 75cc streamliner from Aermacchi

At http://www.motomacchi.com/historical/history.html

It may give you some ideas
I have posted some of Lambretta's and Vespa's streamliners earlier.

http://www.vespaofca.com/timeline.htm

1952 The 100,000 Vespa is sold as the Vespa 125cc model beats the one-kilometer world speed record with a speed of 171 kilometers per hour.

http://www.100-mph-lambretta.com/

http://www.lambretta.it/lottaing.html

and the coolest one of all

http://www.lambretta.it/200kmhing.html

Regards Whitworthsocket

whitworthsocket · Post by **whitworthsocket** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:48 pm

And you could wear cool helmets like this

http://www.lambretta.it/foto2/lotta6.jpg

Rock et

internetscooter · Post by **internetscooter** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:20 pm

I've actually seen the Vespa streamliner at the Piaggio museum in Italy... very cool. There was a recent article in Scootering (an international mag about scootering), and they detailed the engine etc. Pretty innovative stuff with 2 opposed pistons, compressing the air/fuel against each other.

Anyway the most interesting thing is that the engine output was 21Hp.

I won't be entering the streamliner class, as I still want it to look like a scooter, but it needs to have that flavour

internetscooter · Post by **internetscooter** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:04 pm

The Vespa KDX Dry Laker Racer is still alive...

We've been at it slow but steady. We had a set back after discovering how easy a vespa gearbox can be destroyed (slipped a gear... crunch, teeth go flying, shafts get bent). Jeremy has rebuilt the engine, strengthened the gear selection mechanism and has just run it in...

Today we hit the Vespalabs secret race track (with only 200km since rebuild) and carefully tested out how much punch it has...

Vespa's have 4 gears, in 2nd we got to 81.7km/hr (GPS) and 3rd 124km/hr (GPS) . Top speed yet untested...

Considering that is was windy + we haven't done the partial streamling yet (only a screen), the exhaust is not designed for the engine and the carb is standard KDX. Things are looking good :wink:

Also the engine is staying a steady 80C thanks to Norm's radiator.

ben james · Post by **ben james** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 9:56 pm

looks like an organised workshop in the background there

momec · Post by **momec** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:01 am

Ben
Theres a sign abve my desk that says "a tidy desk is the sign of a sick mind"
I think that goes for sheds too. I'm a bit worried about the wood/metal ratio though.
Chris

Dry Lakes Racers Australia

Vespa Dry Lake Racer lives...

Vespa Dry Lake Racer lives...

Thanks for the inspiration

Streamlining

Re: Streamlining